From Dusty to Dynamic: The Real Purpose of Development Plans
When done well, a development plan can serve as a powerful roadmap—aligning your team, clarifying priorities, and putting an end to the chaos of feeling like you’re constantly winging it. And yet, so many nonprofits have operated for years without one. Why? Because the true purpose of a development plan is often misunderstood. Many Development […]
Why Fundraising Falls Short: The Case for Better Financial Strategy
If you’ve worked in the nonprofit sector long enough, you’ve likely encountered these stories—and they may have even happened to you: The Board increase the revenue goals for next year but provide no additional investment in fundraising staffing or infrastructure to support those lofty targets. Or how about when you’re halfway through the year and […]
Getting Unstuck: Using the Control-Influence-Concern Circle to Overcome Challenges
When I work with teams facing challenges—strained relationships between departments, communication breakdowns, or persistent organizational hurdles—I often see the same pattern: people feel stuck. Frustration builds, blame starts to circulate, and progress grinds to a halt. Here’s the truth: most complaints are about things we can’t control—other people’s behavior, their feelings, their wants and needs. […]
Strategic Planning Done Right: Three Questions to Move Your Nonprofit Forward
I’ve come to believe that strategic planning isn’t about following a step-by-step process; it’s about asking the right questions. If you don’t ask the best questions, the answers, ideas, and plans that emerge won’t address what’s truly needed to propel your organization forward. Unfortunately, many strategic planning processes at nonprofits focus more on checking boxes […]
Navigating Ethical Boundaries in Q&A Sessions
Many of my readers who grew up in U.S. classrooms might remember teachers saying, “There are no silly questions.” Actually, the original phrase was “There are no stupid questions,” but we’ve wisely moved away from using such language. While these statements were intended to encourage curiosity and inquisitiveness in children, they don’t hold up as […]